Michael Vaughan has dismissed talk of dropping Andrew Strauss from England's Test team as "ridiculous" and insisted that his worth as a captain out-weighed any concerns over a lack of runs.

While Vaughan, a former England Test captain, accepted that Strauss "needs a big score" and that judged simply as a batsman his place would be in jeopardy, he expressed confidence that Strauss' technique remains up to the task of opening the batting in Test cricket.

Strauss has scored just one century in his last 50 Test innings - and none since November 2010 - and has averaged 26 in the last calendar year, leading to speculation about his position during England's series in Sri Lanka, which was drawn 1-1.

Vaughan also expressed a concern over the quality of replacements available in county cricket.